Chapter 714: My Heavenly Emperor

Crack! Crack!

A crisp yet ear-piercing sound came from the northern sky.

Lu Ran turned his head to look and witnessed an incredibly perilous scene.

Peak Master Tu had already been teleported away, but the battle had not ceased; the golden monk palm he had pushed out earlier was still there, and the dense swarm of golden dragons remained!

At this moment, a giant golden hand was pushing the Nine-Ring Compassion Barrier, blasting it toward a farther distance.

In the blink of an eye, two of the nine golden rings had already shattered, and they continued to crumble incessantly.

Lu Ran immediately flung the fiercely struggling artifact, the Three Thousand Ripple Shoes, toward Elder Lu, then hastily flickered, directly bursting into the Nine-Ring Compassion Barrier.

"Crack! Crack!"

The sound of golden rings shattering continued, like a death knell tolling repeatedly.

He Qi gritted her teeth tightly, desperately channeling her divine weapon in an attempt to reconstruct the golden rings, but how could her casting speed with the divine weapon compare to the destructive speed of the monk palm and the swarm of golden dragons?

"I!" Suddenly, a voice came from behind.

He Qi's eyes, which had been somewhat despairing, instantly changed their expression.

Lu Ran had arrived!

Immediately after, He Qi felt an arm wrap around her.

"Crack!!" Under the impact of the monk palm ahead and the swarm of golden dragons below, the final two golden rings exploded simultaneously.

He Qi's heart hung in her throat; in her line of sight, the sky-obscuring golden monk palm was approaching infinitely close!

It seemed that within the next second, it would ruthlessly crush two insignificant humans.

"Whoosh~" Suddenly, He Qi felt their speed of flying backward increase sharply.

A bizarre scene appeared!

The distance between the golden monk palm and Lu Ran and He Qi became fixed; both sides maintained a distance of ten to twenty meters as they continuously flew northward.

Wu Sheng Divine Art: Swallow Feather Flip!

Before the golden monk palm could strike Lu Ran, the terrifying fluctuation of divine power would push him away first.

Regardless of how fast the flying speed of the enemy's technique was, Lu Ran always stayed one body length ahead!

Moreover, Lu Ran was not flying backward in a straight line but was carrying He Qi, swaying left and right while flying upward and backward.

This was because beneath their feet, the dense swarm of golden dragons was also pushing and shoving the insignificant humans.

"Bang! Bang!"

"Rumble—" The swarm of golden dragons could not touch the tiny ants, yet they blasted the golden monk palm into smithereens.

Yan Yan Shuangzi gazed at this scene from afar, the worry in her eyes gradually turning into admiration.

Amidst such dense output, Lu Ran had truly achieved "passing through a forest of flowers without a single petal sticking to one's body"!

The golden monk palm exploded with a crash, and He Qi finally broke free from the impact range of the golden dragon swarm, standing high in the sky.

Though she appeared to be alone, Yan Yan Shuangzi knew very well that Lu Ran must be standing behind He Qi.

"Didn't I tell you to stay there and not move?"

A slightly stern voice came from behind He Qi's ear.

It was undeniable that the appearance of the Wind Heavenly Emperor had indeed helped Lu Ran.

She had drawn Peak Master Tu's attention, allowing Lu Ran to act recklessly and coordinate with Elder Lu.

However, a battlefield of this level was not one for He Qi or Yan Yan Shuangzi to participate in.

With the slightest carelessness, they would truly die!

"Mm." He Qi pressed her lips together, reached one hand down, and grasped the hand wrapped around her front.

It had been a long time since the high-and-mighty Lord of the Purple Forbidden City had been scolded.

Behind her ear, the young man's voice came again, his tone slightly softened: "Peak Master Tu has already been teleported to the Heavenly Realm; your Purple Forbidden City is fine."

The heart that had been hanging in He Qi's chest finally settled down.

The Purple Forbidden City was fine.

Fine.

【Master, Wu Ji Peak has been destroyed for quite some time now.】 Suddenly, Yan Yan Shuangzi's reminder sounded in Lu Ran's mind.

That's right, Soul Detention!

"I'll settle the score with you when we get back." Leaving these words behind, Lu Ran flickered and departed.

He Qi, aided by her divine weapon, stood suspended in mid-air, looking down at the tragic battlefield stretching for several kilometers below her feet, her expression becoming increasingly complex.

Confusion, anger, lingering fear, relief—

Various emotions surged into her heart, leaving her frozen in place for a moment.

At the same time, Lu Ran, having returned to Wu Ji Peak, opened a pair of Death Realm Pupils.

Collapsed mountain bodies, torn-apart earth.

Ten thousand palaces had all turned to dust.

Lu Ran raised his eyes to the sky and saw many floating dead souls again, and also saw dead souls higher up in the sky slowly merging into the Heavenly Realm.

"You damn thing! You got off easy!"

Cursing hatefully in his heart, Lu Ran's figure flickered again as he lingered above Wu Ji Peak, intercepting dead soul after dead soul.

One by one, the deceased Wu Seng disciples appeared—angry, sorrowful, crying in despair—

This panorama of sentient beings also caused Lu Ran's mood to sink lower and lower.

What exactly had the God Wu Seng said to Peak Master Tu?

Could it be that the god threatened Peak Master Tu's life, or threatened to tear up the contract, leaving Peak Master Tu with no divine arts to use?

It shouldn't be like that, should it?

People all say that Peak Master Tu is upright and righteous, possessing an aura of pure justice.

Would he, because of such a threat, be willing to sacrifice the disciples of the entire sect and even destroy the Purple Forbidden City?

Or perhaps the Divine Being·Wu Seng used Peak Master Tu's family in the mortal Great Xia as leverage?

Would he?

Lu Ran still did not think so, yet he felt he should not overestimate human nature.

His mind was in chaos, constantly restraining souls.

There must be other reasons.

"Sigh," a long exclamation drew Lu Ran's attention.

He turned to look and saw a somewhat familiar figure—Elder Zhang.

Thinking back, when Lu Ran had invited He Qi Feng to Misty Rain Lake, two Elders surnamed Zhang had been part of the entourage.

As sect elders, both held a transcendent status and possessed formidable strength, each having reached the fourth stage of Zhi Hai Jing.

Later, the two first-grade divine weapon halberds that Lu Ran had seized from Lady Lu and Third Lady Lu at Thunder Shock Mountain were, through the hands of the Wind Heavenly Emperor, lent to them.

This allowed the two Zhangs to lock onto enemies on the battlefield shrouded in thick fog.

After the battle at Thunder Shock Mountain, He Qi Feng had wanted to return the divine weapons, but Lu Ran had refused.

Divine weapon halberds could, of course, be used to win people's hearts.

Rather than demanding the two Fangtian Painting Halberds back, it was better to seize the opportunity to bring both Elder Zhangs into the Great Da Da Feng Tang.

Since then, the two Elders surnamed Zhang had indeed grown increasingly close to He Qi Feng in private friendship.

This time, had Peak Master Tu successfully ascended to the Heavenly Realm, both Elder Zhangs would have stood by He Qi Feng's side and nominated her as the new Peak Master of Martial Extremity Peak.

Alas, Peak Master Tu had "deviated from the correct path and entered demonic possession."

All of He Qi Feng's previous efforts and every single arrangement she had made were utterly destroyed.

"Hmm?" Elder Zhang sensed a suction force beside him, but since Lu Ran was concealing his form, the other party could not see clearly.

In Lu Ran's heart, he was likewise sighing.

A Great Wu Seng of the fourth stage of Zhi Hai Jing had died just like that at Peak Master Tu's hands.

So humble.

The Divine Being·Wu Seng really knew how to pick his timing! Who wouldn't crave the thick fog brought about by Peak Master Tu's breakthrough to the Heavenly Realm?

Even the disciples of Martial Extremity Peak who were away on missions would surely rush back specifically to share in the benefits and enjoy the blessings of the Upper Heavens.

Nightfall, within the Purple Forbidden City·City Lord's Residence.

Inside the vast hall, Lu Ran sat silently in an armchair, enduring the buzzing vibration of the Wu Seng stone sculpture in his mind.

Yan Yan Shuangzi was guarding secretly, making no sound.

As for Elder Lu, he had departed long ago; on the battlefield at noon, he had specifically requested the Dharma Artifact Staff from Yan Yan Shuangzi, gave some instructions, and then went to Thousand Flower Ridge.

Lu Yuan had not returned to Cloud Sea Cliff because the owners of the Divine Weapon·Xuanhuang Staff and the Dharma Artifact·Three Thousand Ripple Boots were still Peak Master Tu.

Peak Master Tu had merely been transported to the Heavenly Realm and could not communicate with the two treasures.

The connection was not completely severed.

The Mortal Realm, Mountain Realm, and Heavenly Realm were each independent worlds.

It was just like when Lu Ran was in the mortal Great Xia and tried to contact his Flame Gate disciples through the master-servant contract; he simply could not reach them.

But if Peak Master Tu were to return to Spirit Saint Mountain, the staff and the battle boots would naturally be able to communicate smoothly with their owner, revealing all the intelligence they had acquired.

This was the fundamental reason why Lu Yuan had not returned to Cloud Sea Cliff.

Before the Xuanhuang Staff and Ripple Boots acknowledged a new master, it was inappropriate for them to know the location of Cloud Sea Cliff, and even more so to know Lu Ran's true identity.

Lu Yuan had personally instructed: "Once the Hall Master has selected the new owner for the Shen Bing Fa artifacts, simply bring that person to Thousand Flower Ridge."

Of course, Elder Lu's actions were purely out of caution.

Peak Master Tu, having already ascended to the Heavenly Realm, should not be able to return.

"Crack~"

The room door was pushed open, and a woman draped in a noble golden robe walked in.

The room was pitch black, but this did not hinder He Qi Feng from sensing Lu Ran's presence; she turned to close the door, walked over to the armchair, and said, "Hall Master."

Lu Ran possessed night vision, so he could see He Qi Feng's expression as clear as day.

Her eyes were dim, no longer bearing her former spirited demeanor.

Over the past day, the Great Da Da Feng Tang had sent people back to Martial Extremity Peak but had failed to find any survivors.

Lu Ran had long known this result; while restraining souls, he had also tried searching.

But that Heaven-grade·Dragon Soaring to the Heavens attack had an extremely wide range; its damage output exceeded the standard expected of Spirit Saint Mountain, and the dragon swarm was so dense that it had destroyed almost everything.

The sect of Martial Extremity Peak,

this powerful faction standing at the very center of the Spirit Saint Mountain map, had been wiped out just like that.

And the Heavenly Realm expert who created this massacre had used only a single move.

One move.

To be honest, if the peak had been filled with Wu Sheng disciples, perhaps some might have actually survived.

Alas, the sect was filled entirely with Wu Seng disciples; their Shen Fa list dictated their combat style, and what the disciples were most proud of was the Wu Seng Shen Fa·Dharma Protector Golden Body!

Yet this unparalleled defensive technique, in the face of Heaven-grade damage output, was as fragile as thin paper.

"How many Wu Seng disciples remain?"

"Only the 28 Great Da Da Feng Tang disciples stationed in the city remain," He Qi Feng said in a low voice. "Among the Zhi Hai Jing Wu Seng disciples, only the Wine and Meat True Person is left."

In Lu Ran's mind, the image of a fat monk immediately surfaced.

"The Wine and Meat True Person is at the peak of Zhi Hai Jing and does not need to cultivate," He Qi Feng forced out a bitter smile. "He is very gluttonous and has always stayed in the city to live, never returning to Martial Extremity Peak."

Lu Ran remained silent for a long while before softly uttering, "Mm."

Suddenly, He Qi knelt before the armchair and said gratefully, "On behalf of all the citizens of the city, I thank the Sect Master for saving my life."

He Qi, the undisputed second genius of Great Xia, possessed a competitiveness bordering on pathology.

Her abilities supported that very heart; through struggling and climbing within this Sacred Lingshan, she ultimately became a city lord wielding supreme power, transforming into an empress of imposing majesty.

This was the first time since Lu Ran had known He Qi that she had bowed her head before him.

"Is not the Forbidden City also mine?" Lu Ran said softly.

He Qi pursed her lips, finally letting out an "Mm."

"Are we not both geniuses of Great Xia?"

"Mm."

"Why offer thanks?"

He Qi fell silent for a long while, her voice low: "I thank the Sect Master for saving my life and protecting my Dao heart."

Behind these brief words lay Lu Ran's reckless act, one that disregarded life and death and bordered on suicide.

In the pitch-black surroundings, the young man's soft murmur came through: "You are my Wind Heavenly Emperor, my companion of shared ideals."

He Qi suddenly felt her nose sting; she lowered her head to prevent him from seeing her expression, yet her tightly clenched fist betrayed her somewhat:

"Yes."

(End of Chapter)